Joy
by everythingwasblue
Summary: After an argument with the Diamonds, Spinel goes back to the garden to think about everything that's happened to her. What she doesn't expect, though, is to receive a visit from a stranger. (One-Shot)


Time felt still.

Thousands of stars illuminated the abandoned, overgrown garden that had been inhabited for six thousand years by one single gem.

"So. . . so _stupid_. . ." a voice was mumbling quietly.

Spinel was standing in the once bright garden, which was now decayed into a vegetative, silent graveyard. Vines which were lively were overgrown and browning. crusting up. Flowers that had once been pink and sprightly had disintegrated completely years ago from lack of care. Tall grass covered the ground beneath her feet, and as she stared out into the endless sky, she was trying to hold it all together.

"I am _so _stupid."

Spinel's fingers dug into her scalp as she shut her eyes tightly, teeth grit as she tried her hardest to stop from breaking down.

Since her encounter with Earth and nearly obliterating all life there, she had been an emotional wreck on the inside. An overwhelming guilt had followed her wherever she went; it derived from attempting to kill so many people who had never even wronged her, the desire fueled only by her anger. When she shut her eyes, she could see the fear in Steven's eyes still as if it had happened seconds prior. That drove her insane with misery to even think about.

She never meant to invoke fear; her life's purpose, quite literally, was to promote joy in those around her and make sure they smile.

It didn't help her to think about this, especially when she'd screwed up so bad just moments ago. Because of the way she'd felt, she'd just blown up on the Diamonds.

She'd just fled from them and caused a big scene in front of a whole lot of gems, and she felt miserably pathetic and weak. It just didn't feel good to be constantly reminded of the person who treated her badly, and Spinel couldn't take it anymore.

The first time it had happened, she was touring around Homeworld with White Diamond.

_"You know, dear Spinel, I am very thankful for you. I just know you made our Starlight so happy."_

At that time, Spinel had just smiled and laughed uncomfortably, trying to convince herself that those words were true.

The second time, it was when she was hanging out with Yellow Diamond, who was checking up on things.

_"Pink and I would sit together like we are right now, while I checked over my colonies. You remind me of her more and more everyday."_

She'd half-heartedly smiled, but it quickly dripped off her face when she looked away as her insides gnawed at her.

Then, just moments prior to the now, there had been a party to celebrate her return.

_"I now present to you: Homeworld's only Spinel!"_

_White Diamond's voice boomed, her hand moving forward. The crowd of gems watched with wide and entertained eyes as White Diamond's hand opened; and on her palm was Spinel, sitting in stun. She hadn't exactly had a premonition that a gathering this huge would show up to her 'big return.' This was their way of attempting to integrate her back into normal society, but she wasn't so sure she was ready for that yet._

_The gems that had gathered were quiet at her appearance. Maybe it was because of the way she looked. In that moment, she felt very small._

_"It's been six thousand years, but Pink Diamond's playmate now has finally returned to us." White continued, her white smile blinding._

_There seemed to be mixed reactions from the crowd. Some looked at her suspiciously, while others seemed to show pity. Some were just smiling, though, and weren't judgmental at all. But Spinel couldn't notice the good or the bad; she felt too uncomfortable to be put on the spot like this, and so she kept her eyes on her twiddling fingers instead._

_"She, ahem. . . was stranded alone because of Pink Diamond's commands, but she stayed loyal; that alone is an admirable feat." Yellow Diamond said._

_Spinel's heart sank at that. She frowned, and now couldn't dare to look at the audience's eyes._

_"Spinel," Blue Diamond walked up next to White Diamond, and was smiling at the gem, "you truly are one of Pink's last treasures."_

_That had been the final straw. Blue Diamond kept talking, but Spinel wasn't listening anymore. Ever since she'd gone with them, all they could talk about was Pink Diamond_—_it had become very clear their true intentions were to just replace the gap that Pink Diamond left in them. They didn't even see her as her own gem! It wasn't fair!_

_"I'm not her treasure." She mumbled, fists balling up._

_"What was that?" Blue Diamond asked, seeming confused._

_"I said: I'm not her treasure!" Spinel's voice raised to a shout, and her face twisted into an angered sneer._

_The diamonds seemed taken aback by this. The other Homeworld gems watching stayed quiet, but a murmuring had arisen._

_"Spinel_—_" Blue Diamond tried, but it was too late._

_"No! If Pink Diamond thought I was her treasure, she would've never abandoned me!" she cried, dragging her hands down her face. "Ugh! I've had enough of hearing about her! Enough!"_

_"Spinel!" Yellow Diamond glowered at her, anger clear in her face. "What has gotten into you?"_

_"What's gotten into me?" Spinel laughed sarcastically before throwing her hands in the air. "Six thousand years of standing alone on a nowhere planet like a nobody has gotten into me! Thanks to her! I don't want to be reminded of her and what she did to me every five seconds, don't you get it? This stupid little 'reunion' isn't going to erase what she did!"_

_She realized that she'd just talked back to her diamonds, and she gasped a little, pupils shrinking in realization of her own mistake. Their changed expressions made her feel fear; White with shock, Blue with pity and sadness, and Yellow with annoyance. Again, she had let her anger get the best of her. Again, she had managed to taint her newly found friendships._

_Before anything else could be said, Spinel jumped off of White Diamond's palm and landed perfectly on the ground, her rubber-like legs easily breaking the fall._

_She took a moment to recover as she looked out at the crowd. Some were snickering, others were mumbling cruel things about her, and some stared with pitiful looks._

_Oh, how she hated the pity the most._

_Spinel had seen enough, and without another moment of hesitation she quickly launched off into the distance, refusing to turn back despite her hearing her name being called._

Now, she was standing in space again, hiding in the only place she could find an ounce of solace in. She was holding herself with her arms, sniffling a bit as she contemplated the events that had unfolded in the past few days. It was like wherever she went, she was unable to escape Pink Diamond's name. Her legacy, her face, anything. She hated it.

At first she had thought she'd be okay with this idea. The Diamonds seemed like they'd wanted her, and she was so ready to finally be accepted and wanted. They had reminded her of Pink Diamond at first, but she had to push that thought out of her mind. When she thought about it too much, it made her sick to realize that they were like her.

So she decided right then and there that she would stay in the garden forever, alone just as she was meant to be. Because that fate was better than being constantly reminded of _her_. That was to be her fate, wasn't it? To be alone forever, unloved and unwanted?

A miserable feeling it was, to not feel wanted by a single soul in the universe. The only one who she had wanted to want her never loved her from the start. She'd poured out six thousand years of love like blood spilling from a wound endlessly for Pink Diamond's sake, even though it was hurting her so badly. And for what? What was the payoff? Nothing.

Even the Diamonds who had sworn to adore and love her had proven one thing to the damaged gem: that they didn't care about her, and they were just trying to fill in a space where Pink Diamond was gone.

"Who's gonna fill my space?" Spinel murmured under her breath bitterly.

Her eyes started to burn and her cheeks puffed out as she refused to start crying, holding back the powerful urge to that had suddenly befallen her. She rapidly shook her head, trying to shake it off, but she just couldn't.

Her arms stretched longer until she was completely hugging herself, and her legs slowly turned to jelly as she fell into the ground. Her mouth trembled slightly as she grit her teeth.

She just wanted to be loved. Why was that such a hard thing to achieve, the state of being loved? It was eating away at her, gnawing at what little hope she had left, making her feel filthy.

Was she just that unlovable that no one in the whole universe could see her for who she was and show her genuine kindness and affection?

Spinel's eyes were brimming with tears now as her mind tortured her with cruel thoughts that played over and over again. But then, she heard a familiar _whirr_ from behind her. Her back was turned to the warp pad, but someone had certainly just come to the garden by using it, and she wasn't ready to face anyone in her current state.

With immediate regret, her arms unraveled from her form and her legs quickly eased back into place as she jumped up to try and look presentable. She sniffled and rubbed the back of her wrist against her eyes fervently before getting ready to turn around. She was actually pretty aggravated at the fact she couldn't be peaceful without be followed.

"Look, I don't care what the Diamonds or you say—I'm not going to apologize, and no one can make me." Spinel started, turning around with a frown.

But her expression softened slightly with confusion as she came face to face with a pearl.

This wasn't Pink Diamond's pearl back on Earth. No, instead it was a pearl she had never seen before. She blinked in confusion as she fully turned toward the unfamiliar gem, tilting her head to the side.

She noted the pearl's two buns which were on either side of her head, the pink hue that her complexion had, and the most defining trait of all was the crack that covered her eye and reached her forehead to her cheek. In fact, there was no eye there at all. It was obvious immediately that she had been a part of Pink Diamond's court. This instantly made Spinel feel suspicious as her eyes narrowed.

She was standing a few feet away from the warp pad, her hands folded together in front of her politely. She seemed awkward as she looked away and broke the eye contact, while Spinel just sneered.

"What do you want? Did you just come here to remind me of Pink Diamond like everyone else loves to do?" she hissed.

At the mentioning of that name, the pearl seemed to flinch slightly. She looked back toward Spinel nervously, and took a breath.

"No, I didn't." She finally spoke softly. "I just, um. . . I saw what happened."

Spinel's fingers twitched slightly as she stretched her arm around and scratched her head in curiosity.

"So you followed me here?" Spinel's eyes narrowed further as her arm went back to its normal length.

"Yes. You move quickly, though. It was difficult to keep up. I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Pearl."

Spinel frowned as Pearl took a few more steps forward, outreaching one hand to her as if to prompt Spinel shake it. Spinel's eyes drifted toward it, distrust clear in her expression as she struggled to force herself to take her hand. The thought of the touch made her nervous, and she frowned slightly at her own impudence. With thousands of years going by without having any touch at all, it was still a foreign feeling to her, and touching the Diamonds still felt strange.

With much hesitation, her arm extended forward as it became longer than normal, but she hesitated. She stopped right before she grabbed Pearl's hand. Instead, she slapped it away.

"No offense, but I don't do the touchy-feely stuff right now." Pearl's eye flickered with a bit of hurt, and she frowned slightly. "I'm Spinel. But I'm sure you already knew that. Then again, maybe not, since the Diamonds decided to practically introduce me as Pink Diamond's treasure." She spat, and her hand retreated back to her side briskly as she sniffed in disdain.

Pearl opened her mouth to respond, but Spinel wasn't done.

"I hope you haven't come to pity me. Because, oh, no one would ever do that." She hissed bitterly. "It hasn't gotten completely annoying by now."

She crossed her arms and looked away, a low growl rising in her throat. A frown suited her expression as her mouth formed into a squiggly line, her anger getting the better of her.

"Well, no. I just. . . feel like we're pretty similar." Pearl admitted, seeming much more shy now.

Spinel paused, eyes opening a bit further, and she blinked. She turned to the stranger, confusion in her tired face. "What?"

Pearl wasn't expecting that reaction, it was clear in her expression as she looked at the other gem.

Was that look in Spinel's eyes hope? Distrust? A mixture of both? Pearl tried to identify it, but she could not.

"Um. . . well—"

"Never mind, I don't want to hear it," Spinel interrupted with a huff, changing her mind, "no one is like me. Don't bother trying to tell me otherwise, just beat it."

A silence consumed the garden as Spinel's arms crossed again, tighter this time as they wrapped around herself. She had a pout on her face as she cast her gaze aside, mouth pursed in annoyance.

Pearl's eye hadn't left Spinel. There was some warmth that had resided in her cheeks as she frowned, deciding on what she should say. Spinel's attitude toward her did nearly deter her. But she was determined—she couldn't give up before she made her point. Not now, not after coming out here.

"I—"

"Are you just going to stand there? Go away. And tell the Diamonds I'm not coming back, why don't you?" Spinel spat. "I don't need them."

Pearl was quickly growing frustrated. She placed one hand on her chest.

"But I—"

"Go away!" Spinel repeated, more firm and loudly this time. She stretched one leg out toward Pearl and the rest of her body followed as she sprung forward into place, unraveling her arms as her fists balled. There was only a small space between the two as she glared up at the pearl. "What more do I have to say for it to get through to your head? Leave. Me. _Alone_!" she barked, and Pearl internally flinched. "I don't need _anyone_ to throw me a pity party."

She turned and started to stomp away. Pearl's eye widened, but then she shut it tightly. If there was only one way to get through to her, it would be by coming out with it. Frustration was coursing through her veins at Spinel's attitude, and her cheeks puffed out for a moment before she sucked in a breath.

"I was abandoned by Pink Diamond, too!" Pearl's voice raised.

Spinel stopped mid-walk, freezing in place as though she'd been shot. The tensity left her limbs as her arms fell to her sides limply. Pearl's eye cracked open cautiously, her whole body cringing and tense, and she was quickly surprised to see she now had the other gem's full piqued interest.

"You. . . you were?" Spinel's tone had quickly shifted now, though she wasn't facing Pearl yet. The condescending way she spoke and sarcasm had completely disappeared, and instead she sounded unsure and surprised. Her fingers were twitching a bit.

Pearl blinked, not realizing that would've gotten her attention so easily. She tapped her fingers together as she thought of what to say. She took a step forward.

"Yes. . . I was. . . brainwashed by White Diamond for thousands of years." Pearl explained uneasily. "I once belonged to Pink Diamond, though, and. . ." she closed her eye and sighed uneasily. "I was taken away and damaged as a punishment on Pink."

Spinel slowly looked over her shoulder, eyes wide.

Pearl seemed to hesitate to go any further, but she did anyway.

"Um. . ." Pearl started to scratch her cheek nervously with one finger as she looked up, "Well, Pink Diamond promised me that she would get me back. She never came back for me. I suppose she must've forgot about me." Pearl shrugged half-heartedly, and she laughed in spite of herself. Then she became calmer and quiet, which was her natural level of speaking. "I have never found anyone who went through something similar, but. . . you know how it feels. I. . . didn't want you to feel alone."

Spinel was clearly stunned as she now turned to face her completely.

"B-but. . . how are you so okay with it?" Spinel gestured to her in bewilderment. "I mean—you seem like you are." Her voice was quiet now, too.

Pearl blinked, and then she folded her hands in front of her again as her gaze went downcast.

"I'm not. I'm really, really not okay with it at all. I hadn't done much wrong aside from amusing her and carrying out her every order. But because of her personal choices, she was the reason that I wasn't even in my conscious mind for thousands of years, and yet. . ."

"You can't bring yourself to hate her?" Spinel mumbled the finisher. Pearl flinched internally as she simply nodded in agreement. "Heh. . ."

Pearl looked back up to see Spinel's arm stretched across her eyes, and her head was tilted back toward the sea of black and stars. Though it hadn't been very clear before, it was very clear now that the gem was shaking a bit.

As her lip trembled, it became obvious right away she was attempting to hold in whatever emotion had come over her. Pearl stared in concern, unsure what was going on in her mind. When Spinel laughed again, more choked up this time, the way she felt was immediately pieced together in the pearl's mind.

"Oh, _wow_, that's. . . well, isn't this just a _real_ laugh?"

Spinel's arm dropped away limply, revealing the tears that had built up in her exhausted, reddened eyes.

"Pink Diamond is just so fantastic! What a great person." She sounded like she was in agony as the sarcasm dripped like poison off of her tone. "She has a way of showing her friends she loves them, doesn't she?"

"Spinel. . ." Pearl found her words failing her. Spinel obviously wasn't done.

"Life's just so swell and funny, isn't it? Here I am, back in the same place I was for six thousand years, after I attempted to kill Pink Diamond's son, all for the sake of. . . what, to make myself feel better for being abandoned?"

Pearl's eye searched Spinel's, concern not wavering as she continued.

"How do I even come to forgive myself for hurting someone who was meant to be my friend?" Spinel asked aloud, though it seemed mostly directed at herself as her hands reached back up to cling to the sides of her head.

Pearl inched a little closer, closing the space between them to a small distance. Her mouth was open to speak, but the other gem still wasn't finished.

"And after all of this, all of this which came from what she did to me. . . heh. . ." one of Spinel's reached up to cover half of her face. "I can't entirely hate her. I mean, I think I hate her, but then I know part of me still cares. I mean, after all. . . how dumb is it, to still care about someone who never cared about you? All I wanted to do was make her feel joy. W-what did I do wrong?"

Spinel's voice cracked with a sob as her arms fell to her sides again. Pearl couldn't stand by and just listen anymore.

She lunged forward in one swift motion, her arms quickly wrapping around Spinel's neck in an embrace. At first, Spinel was startled and was tempted to throw Pearl off of her, confused by this action. But then, she realized what it was as her face twisted with shock.

Warmth. Kindness. Care. Something that she so desperately craved, so desperately needed, something she had been starved of for what felt like millennia. Spinel's mouth trembled as she tried to hold back the emotions overcoming her, but like a dam breaking, she let out a piercing, agonized cry as hot tears finally breached their limit and rolled down her cheeks.

Pearl knew that any attempts to reach Spinel would be futile right now, and she felt concern as another broken cry shattered the silence of the garden.

Spinel's legs, like jelly, fell beneath her, but Pearl was there to let her fall more slowly as she sat down on her knees, holding Spinel close as the gem sobbed. All Pearl could do was attempt to comfort her by tracing a hand softly down her back. Her eye was wide with the realization of what was happening.

But then, Pearl couldn't help but frown.

Of course, she had heard the whole story through the grapevine. She knew that Spinel had attempted to kill Steven, and all of Earth, actually. . . but it wasn't like that went unprovoked. But even then, had she received the understanding she needed, it might've played out differently. And it was clear from what she was witnessing that Spinel was a mess of emotions not only from what had been done to her, but what she had done as well.

She of course didn't know everything. Perhaps things didn't end so well between Spinel and Steven. But Pearl had received kindness from the boy she didn't know. He'd welcomed her back to the world when she'd been gone for thousands of years, unaware of her own existence. He'd showed her compassion and didn't treat her differently like everyone else around her had been. He had offered her a heart full of love and kindness, and that was something she appreciated.

But she knew that it might be harder to show that type of kindness toward someone who had tried to kill him. However, just from knowing him for a short time, she could see the good in him. She knew that he had the type of compassion and care in him that was rare to find in others. He was nothing like his mother, if Pearl was thinking real.

In that moment, Pearl resented Pink Diamond so much more than she already did. Even though part of her still cared for Pink Diamond, she had been hurt beyond belief. The way Pink Diamond promised to save her, but then never did. Yet, ironically, it was her son who had pulled her out of her brainwashed state by being able to get through to White Diamond.

Pearl wasn't around White Diamond anymore for the sake of her own mental health. She was given a nice place to live to make up for the years of torture, but even then she hadn't felt an ounce of compassion from the gems who enslaved her for thousands of years. Nothing could make up for that. And despite White Diamond's attempts to reconcile, it would never be able to happen. Pearl's emotions wouldn't allow it.

So, Pearl could completely sympathize with the gem who was crying like a baby in her arms, broken and scared. Not sure where to turn next, not sure how to feel, not sure what to do. Pearl had been floating through life ever since she awoke from her long slumber, and though her old friends Blue and Yellow Pearl had been sweet to her, she never felt the same as she used to.

And it seemed to her that that was exactly what Spinel felt, too; she just couldn't feel the same from the damage she'd gone through.

Pearl wasn't sure how long the two sat there, but she had all the time in the world. Spinel was like a ragdoll, completely limp as she kept sobbing into Pearl's chest. Hearing the harshness of which she cried, Pearl tried her best to calm her down, shushing her softly, though it still wouldn't get through to her. It was clear to Pearl then just how emotionally damaged Spinel was, and how much she needed to let it all out.

Finally, though, after what seemed like hours, Spinel's wails became quieter and weaker. Pearl had suppressed most of her grief toward Pink Diamond away, but seeing Spinel like this was enough to nearly bring her back to her own tears. She decided though to stay strong for her sake instead.

Eventually, Spinel's cries faded away completely, and there was quiet that overtook the garden.

Pearl was smiling a little though, her eye now closed as she kept stroking Spinel's back. She was happy to see that her comfort had not been rejected, and she felt good about the fact that Spinel hadn't tried to get away from her. As Spinel's erratic breathing slowly recovered into normalcy, Pearl felt herself starting to relax a bit more.

"How do you feel?" Pearl asked after a while of just hearing sniffling.

"I think I feel better." Spinel said, her voice hoarse. She felt a little awkward having completely broken down within the arms of a stranger, but she did actually feel a lot better. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Pearl said, still smiling. "I think that was six thousand years of pain, and it needed to come out."

Spinel nodded in agreement, reaching up to wipe her face as she sniffed. She felt a little shy around Pearl all of a sudden; she felt annoyed that the gem had seen her so vulnerable, but she was thankful at the same time. Part of her wanted to separate from her, but part of her didn't want the warm embrace to end. Instead, she relinquished her thoughts, and her feelings kept spilling out despite her wanting to push them down again.

"I've just been so alone." Spinel said weakly.

"I know," Pearl replied gently, "but I commend you. You've been alone all this time, but you don't have to be anymore. I promise."

"I could hurt people if I get close to them again. I could hurt _you_." Spinel pointed out, and she looked up at Pearl. "Just like how I hurt Steven—"

"Shhhh," Pearl interrupted her softly, and Spinel felt her eyes widen slightly, "don't. I'm not worried."

Spinel blinked, and then she looked away, her cheeks starting to burn slightly at being shushed. She felt nervous as she hesitated to speak up again.

"Did you ever. . . did you ever wanna hurt them for what they did to you? The Diamonds?"

Pearl's smile disappeared, and she sighed through her nose. "Of course I did. But, I never had the ability to act upon my feelings. I'm only a pearl with no power, meant to take commands. You, on the other hand, are a rarity with great abilities, capable of doing what you wanted."

Spinel's cheeks puffed out slightly and more heat rose to her face at the compliment.

"I regret what I did, though." She said with a frown. "I was a fool, I acted like a monster."

Pearl's hand reached down and found itself under Spinel's chin. She gently leaned her head up, kindly smiling down at the distraught gem.

"What matters is that you've learned from what you did. I think you're great. And I don't think you're a monster at all. Just someone who deserves a second chance."

Spinel stared in shock as she sat up, leaning back on her knees just as Pearl was.

"You really think that? I mean. . . how do I know you're not lying?" Spinel raised a brow suspiciously, cocking her head to the side.

"You'll just have to trust me." Pearl said. "Remember. . . we've. . . both had our share of Pink Diamond's wrath. We may both have our problems, but that's what can bring us together."

Spinel seemed to realize that as she slowly nodded in agreement. The stun was still in her face.

Pearl reached forward with one hand cautiously, unsure of whether or not her touch would be rejected after all of what had happened. But when Spinel eyed her hand for just a moment before looking back to her face, that seemed to be the permission Pearl needed.

Pearl wiped away the remaining tears from the broken gem's face, and then took one hand in her own.

"So. . . what do you say? Would you, um. . ." she suddenly grew very shy. She was normally never this bold. Not as shy as Blue Pearl, maybe, but definitely not as outgoing as Yellow Pearl. Her mouth became dry, and her cheeks grew warm. "Would you like to be friends?"

Spinel's eyes grew wide, as if that was a question she never thought she'd hear again. She took a moment to think as her eyes drifted away. She seemed to be calculating and contemplating within her mind.

Pearl was starting to lose hope, just when Spinel looked back ahead. She was smiling, brows furrowed together.

"I. . . really could use a friend, you know? Someday, I'd love to make all of what I did up to Steven. I still feel terrible about happened. But I've got a lot to relearn about what being a friend is." She warned.

"It's okay." Pearl cracked a smile, closing her eye. "I understand. I have my own issues to work out, too."

Spinel's mouth quivered for a moment like she was going to start crying again, and for a brief moment tears started to build up in her eyes. But she broke into a wide, toothy grin.

"You're not lying, are you? You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it." Pearl said, giggling, an action which made the heat in Spinel's cheeks flare up again. "I'd love to be your friend."

Spinel rose to her feet, as did Pearl. For a moment, they stood together in silence. Spinel smiled, the tears that had appeared in her eyes not leaving as she hopped forward, her arms becoming long as she wrapped them around Pearl's torso. She lifted her off the ground and held her close. Her face barely brushed Pearl's jaw as she squeezed her.

"Okay, friends it is!" Spinel said, sounding genuinely happy, scrunching her eyes closed as the few tears that had built up again spilled down her cheeks.

They weren't sad this time, though, they were joyous.

Pearl was surprised at her reaction as Spinel spun in a circle, giggling like a child before she realized what she was doing, and stopped. A pink hue had tinted her cheeks when she heard Spinel laugh. But then, it ended abruptly.

Spinel quickly placed her back down, and cleared her throat uncomfortably as she let her free of her grasp.

"Sorry," she said, immediately pulling back. Pearl instantly saw the guilt and hesitation in her eyes. But before her arms could retract, Pearl grabbed onto one, holding her hand firmly.

For a moment, she was surprised at herself. Maybe thousands of years of being stuck in her head gave her time to evolve more. Because she remembered the days where she was just as quiet and cautious as Blue Pearl, and now she was being bolder than she ever had been.

Spinel's eyes slowly rose up, her mouth slightly open in surprise. Pearl realized she hadn't said anything, and she cleared her throat.

"There is nothing to be sorry about." Pearl finally smiled. "I like hugs."

Spinel stared in awe. The reassurance she was receiving was something she wasn't sure she deserved, but it was definitely something she needed.

This time, she got closer to Pearl, and reached up to hug her without any of the antics attached. She shut her eyes tightly, half of her face pressed into her shoulder.

"Thank you," Spinel whispered, her voice thick with appreciation.

Pearl blinked, and she smiled as her arms embraced Spinel again. "You're welcome."

And when the two pulled back and Spinel stared up into Pearl's face, the sadness had been stripped away, replaced with joy instead.

"You know what would be a great idea? Us leaving Homeworld."

Spinel's sudden suggestion left Pearl surprised.

"U-um. . . what?" she asked.

"I mean, I literally decided I wanted to stay _here_ for the rest of my life impulsively. But I _don't_. I _really_ don't want that. So let's go somewhere else. Let's run away together somewhere and get away from all the bad memories that stupid Homeworld has."

Pearl's eye was wide now, the rosy tint on her cheeks becoming more obvious as she put a hand over her mouth.

"Are you sure this isn't another impulsive decision?"

Pearl's eye widened further as Spinel grabbed her free hand in both of her own, squeezing it.

"All I _know_ is that if I stay here for another second, I'm going to lose my mind. Well, I've probably already done that, but that's besides the point. So come on, what do you say to starting over?"

With those pleading, charming eyes, looking up at her with hope, how could Pearl ever say no? She placed her other hand on top of Spinel's, and she smiled.

"I think I like that idea."

"Great!" Spinel's grin widened as she bobbed up and down with excitement. But then, she paused, tilting her head. "Do you have any ideas on where we could go?"

Pearl looked up at the sky as she thought to herself for a moment. She closed her eye, smiling still as she thought back on Steven, and how sweet he'd been to her, and how he'd told her that Earth was a place for any gem who wanted to live there. And knowing that Spinel still wanted to reconcile with him, she couldn't help but think that this would benefit her.

"You know what?" Pearl looked back at the other smiling gem, who was rocking on her heels, "I think I know just the place."

* * *

**A/N: **So, I really enjoyed the movie. However, the ending just wasn't satisfactory for me. I was really sad to see Spinel go; part of me feels like it wasn't a healthy choice for her to go, since the Diamonds were looking for someone to replace Pink Diamond with, and that feeling was expressed in this story. I think she needed someone who knew what her pain felt like to support her - she didn't need to go back with people who were only trying to replace the person who did horrible things to her.

I feel like Spinel's story is far from being over, so I just had to whip up a little something-something. I hope you enjoyed! :)


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